Title: Play Your Hand
Author: ekcobase
Rating: K
Fandom: Star Wars
Pairings: Luke/Mara
Genre: Romance
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,607
Updated: December 26, 2015
Published: November 30, 2015
Status: Complete

Summary: Immediately after The Last Command, Mara sets to work trying to put together an agreement between the Smugglers Alliance and the New Republic. Luke, meanwhile, is getting a bit ahead of himself in terms of exactly what Mara has committed to…
Length: 15,607 words
Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11643125/1/Play-Your-Hand

Play Your Hand is a short sweet romance fic set just after the Thrawn Trilogy. Romance isn't really my favourite genre yet despite this I find it to be well written and engaging throughout, if a bit clichéd. It's much more of a fluff piece and is a nice length for it. An enjoyable read if nothing else. 4/5

 

Herm.
Pros:
-Pretty good with charactarization.
-Well written, no unnecessary lengthy fluffs in the middle
Cons:
-Plot was meh~ nothing new or groundbreaking
-I was disappointed with the ending. It felt wayy too rushed. Also, the last action by Mara was completely out of character. She's not one to change her mind on impulse like that. It would have been better if she had left then, followed by a reunion epilogue or something similar.

4/5 because, well it was a good read despite the ending. There aren't any serious flaws to it other than being a bit bland for those who want action.

 

I read this at some point in the last month, and I barely remember it. From what I do recall, the writing was basically fine, and there were a couple of cute moments, but nothing especially interesting. I guess I'd probably rate it at 3/5.

 

The reviews above have it pretty much spot on. If I had to describe this in one word, I'd pick "bland".

Despite supposedly being a romance, there's no passion in this. There are a couple of nods to traditional romantic scenes, such as Luke and Mara's close contact while sparring - that romcom traditional cringe moment. But that's all. This is incredibly domestic, without ever going into the kind of detail needed for it to be slice of life.

Character voices feel completely off. They all sound like the same person speaking, and that person has no personality.

The plot, tenuous as it is, is focused on Mara Jade's struggle with the idea of becoming a Jedi. But there's no more weight behind her feelings than a toddler refusing to eat broccoli.

While the writing isn't technically incorrect when it comes to the mechanical aspects, it is incredibly ugly. And at only 1500 words a chapter, there's not much substance to wade through it.

I could enjoy the bad plot if there was gorgeous writing. I could enjoy the clumsy prose if there was an exciting plot. As neither of these is present, this fic is hampered below almost recommended from me.

2/5